Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a treatment program like BADP and a regular day camp or “special ed friendly” camp?BADP is different from a traditional camp in several major ways: 1) BADP kids are given individualized goals that are monitored via their Daily Report Card (DRC); 2) Parents receive daily feedback about their child’s progress at pick up; 3) There is an expectation of change, meaning your child should change/improve from the start to the end of BADP; 4) Our entire schedule of fun activities is designed and implemented behaviorally towards improving social skills; 5) Our large group of staff (roughly 1:2 staff-to-child ratio) are professionally trained which gives our kids significantly more specialized attention; 6) Our special education teachers offer academic tutoring and classroom instruction to address specific school concerns; 7) Our social skills program is evidence-based which means we use research-supported strategies to teach new social skills across multiple settings; and, 8) We provide weekly parent training to generalize improvement at home.

How is BADP different from other treatment day programs in the area?
Most evidence-based treatment programs share common characteristics such as a high staff-to-child ratio, behaviorally-informed activities and reinforcements, parent training and daily report cards with individual goals. However, BADP is unique in several ways: 1) BADP is explicitly focused on social skills and friendships and utilizes a custom social skills curriculum that is taught and reinforced throughout the day; 2) We do not accept children whose primary difficulties are disruptive, non-compliance, oppositional or dangerous behavior; 3) Being in operation since 2011, we know exactly what to expect and how to balance fun with providing evidence-based treatment; and, 4) BADP is a fully licensed summer day camp by the NY State Department of Health so we can offer all the fun activities of that of a traditional summer day camp.

What theoretical or treatment models does the social skills training follow at BADP?
Social skills training at BADP is based on several models with an emphasis on generalization. Drawing from the principals of SuperFlex & Social Thinking, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other social skills treatments, we have created our own custom treatment manuals for each age group: 4-6, 7-8 and 9-12. We teach one specific skill twice per day (e.g, flexibility) using a structured teaching model (definition, video role modeling, child practice and then review). Our younger group also incorporates social stories. We then reinforce the skill throughout the day during all our activities using Labeled Praise, Differential Attention and SocialStars.

How big is BADP? How many kids and staff?We only accept about 45 kids each summer but employ over 35 staff, including Assistant Directors, Head Counselors, Special Education Teachers, a full-time Nurse, and Staff Counselors, which provides an excellent staff-to-child ratio.

How long has BADP been operating?
Since the Summer of 2011.

Is the child intake absolutely necessary?Yes. Each Assistant Director needs to conduct his/her own intake face-to-face (not Skype) to get to know the child and family and determine goodness of fit. We take our intake process very seriously to make sure we only accept kids and parents who we believe will be good partners in treatment. This process begins with the intake. The only exception would be if the child and family is already working with one of our Assistant Directors during the school year for regular therapy.

What type of children are best suited for BADP?Our program and staff are best suited for children who want more friends but have difficulties with social skills. They might be impulsive at times, miss social cues, not know what to say or how tokeep the conversation going, or have anxiety in social groups. Our kids have average or above cognitive and language abilities. They might have narrow interests and difficulties carrying a two-sided conversation or following directions immediately. Our kids might carry a diagnosis of ADHD, Anxiety, High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disabilities, NVLD, Sensory Difficulties, and/or Selective Mutism. Our children come from public, special ed, and private schools in NYC.

How does BADP ensure that kids have fun?Once kids recognize that staff are supportive and feel the impact of reinforcement for positive behavior, they quickly acclimate to the classroom time and reward system. Activities are also scaffolded based on ability in order to help them feel confident and learn at their own pace. By teaching them how to succeed, kids feel good about themselves and build confidence which makes activities enjoyable and fun.

What documents are required to be accepted into BADP?We ask parents to submit a recent report card and neuropsychological testing report, and any other testing reports that would help us understand their child. However, these are not required for acceptance. Some children do not have neuorpsychological testing which is ok.

Do you provide 1:1 academic instruction?During academics, children receive 1:1, small group and large group instruction from our special education teachers and professionally trained counselors. We help children with learning challenges improve in Math and ELA and their classroom social skills, but we are not designed for children who need intense summer academic remediation.

Does my child have to participate for all 6 weeks and the full day?
We recommend that kids attend all day for the full 6 weeks to get the most therapeutic benefit. However, we can accept children for shorter days and for 4 and 5 weeks as well.

Do you provide transportation to/from the program location?Yes. We offer private chaperoned transportation to/from your home within 1 hour radius of the program location via subway, bus or taxi for $650/week. There is a 4-week minimum. Discounts do not apply to transportation. Deadline to signup is June 1st.

Do you offer early drop-off or late pick-up?
Yes, we offer early drop-off at 8:15 am for an additional $250/week where we have the children watch a movie under supervision until 9am. There is a 4-week minimum. Discounts do not apply to early drop-off. Deadline to sign up is June 1st. We do not offer late pickup at this time.

What are the costs? Do you offer any discounts?
The costs for tuition, transportation and discounts can be found at the top of the Apply page. We offer a 10% Early Bird discount if you pay in full before April 1. We also offer a 25% Financial Need discount for families that earn less than $150,000 per year. We ask for a copy of the first page of your most recent 1040 tax return. We do not have any additional discounts for siblings.

Can I pay in advance to secure the discount before we’ve been accepted?
Yes. Even if you are not done with your application, interview or have been accepted, you can pay in advance to secure one of our 2 discounts. However, if you are not accepted or choose not to attend, you will be refunded what you paid minus $500. If you are accepted, there are no additional fees.

Do you offer any payment plans?
Yes. We can accept multiple payments but to secure the 10% Early Bird discount, the balance must be paid in full before 4/1. If you are not getting the discount, the balance must be paid in full before May 1.

After my child has been accepted, by when do I need to submit payment?After being accepted, we can only hold spots for families to make payment for 5 business days because we have many other families waiting to be accepted and a limited number of openings. If you end up paying after the 5 day window, we will notify you if your spot has been secured. If there are no spots available by the time your payment is received, you will receive a full refund.

What is your payment policy?We accept cash, check, Venmo or direct deposit. We do not accept payment by Credit Cards. Payment is required in full to secure enrollment. You can also wire transfer payment or mail payment to our UWS location (107 W 82nd St, #106, NY, NY 10024). Checks should be made payable to “Manhattan Psychology Group, PC.”

How do I pay the application or tuition fee with Venmo?
After you download the Venmo app and sign up, search for “Manhattan Psychology Group” and enter the exact payment amount. In the “What it’s for” section, enter “BADP App Fee” and your child’s initials so we know where to apply your payment. **Most importantly: always select the audience as “Participants Only” so that your payments are private, and not shared with your friends or Venmo public. You can make this privacy setting automatic by going to settings>sharing>select default audience as “Participants Only.”

Do you provide food during the day?
No. Children are required to bring a lunch, snack, and drink. We store food in a fridge and have a microwave for heating.

What type of schools do your children attend during the school year? Do you accept children without IEPs?We accept children from all types of schools, such as private, public, special education and home schooling. An IEP is not required.

Do you accept children from outside Manhattan?
Yes. While the majority of our children reside in Manhattan and the 5 boroughs, we receive applications from across the United States and abroad, such as Haiti, Italy, Singapore, China and Costa Rica.

Do you allow paras, shadows and SEITs to attend BADP with the child?
We allow outside providers to attend BADP on a case by case-by-case basis. However, the specifics of how the SEIT will participate is based on the judgement of the group Assistant Director and the child’s needs. We work together to create a plan that works for our program, the family and the child. In general, if your child requires a shadow during the school year, he/she will probably not be a good fit for BADP.

Do you accept health insurance?No. However, portions of BADP may be reimbursable via out-of-network health insurance. At the end of the program, we will provide a receipt for parents to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Also, during your application, we can provide a sample receipt for parents to use to verify reimbursement with their insurance company. It is the parents responsibility to check with their own insurance about reimbursement.

What types of child difficulties are not appropriate for BADP?We are not equipped to help children with severe cognitive or language impairment, who are aggressive or who might run away. We are not properly staffed for kids with physical health impairments, such as frequent seizures, physical handicaps, or other physical health conditions that require frequent medical attention. Students with shadows during the school year are generally not appropriate for BADP or kids who are not interested in peer socialization.

Is BADP nut-free?No. Children can bring any type of food they choose for snack or lunch. However, we have a general policy that children are not allowed to share food. Children with severe allergies might be given special seating during snack time and lunch to keep them safe.

Can BADP administer medication during the day?Yes. We can administer prescribed medications as needed with parental consent. We have a full-time nurse.